Fourth Bristol candidates debate in Norton

Town Moderator and newspaper columnist William Gouveia said residents have a duty and responsibility to choose candidates and decide questions on the Nov. 6 election ballot.

“If you don’t vote, don’t complain,” he said.

Gouveia hosted and moderated a debate Thursday night, Oct. 25 between the candidates for state representative for the Fourth Bristol District held at the Norton Community Television studio and sponsored by the Norton Cable Access Corporation.

By Mike Melanson

Town Moderator and newspaper columnist William Gouveia said residents have a duty and responsibility to choose candidates and decide questions on the Nov. 6 election ballot.

“If you don’t vote, don’t complain,” he said.

Gouveia hosted and moderated a debate Thursday night, Oct. 25 between the candidates for state representative for the Fourth Bristol District held at the Norton Community Television studio and sponsored by the Norton Cable Access Corporation.

The Fourth Bristol District includes part of Norton, all of Rehoboth and Seekonk, and portions of Swansea.

The incumbent, state Rep. Steven Howitt, R-Seekonk, said he voted for Melissa’s Law and for reforms to stop the abuse of Electronic Benefit Transfer cards during his first term.

He said he assisted town officers and helped Norton secure a 62-percent state reimbursement for the Norton High School reconstruction project, and a Shannon Community Safety Initiative grant for the Norton Police Department.

Howitt has a background in heavy construction and business administration.

“I’m out and about with people. They see me. They come up to me. They’re not afraid to speak to me about their issues, and that’s an important part of the job,” he said.

The challenger, Keith Carreiro, Democrat of Swansea, is a four-term Swansea school committee member, and has worked as a teacher and counselor at public schools and universities for more than 40 years.

Carreiro teaches at the Bristol Community College Attleboro Learning Center and teaches courses in English, film, the humanities and philosophy.

“I’m not a professor. I’d like to get that straight. I’m a part-time teacher,” he said. “I have a pretty good feeling of what’s going on out there and what people are going through.”

Howitt said there is no parity in the state legislature.

Of the 160 state representatives, 33 are Republicans. Four of the 40 state senators are Republicans, he said.

“When you’re part of the minority, people know you. People know you because there’s so few of you, as opposed to being the 127th Democrat,” he said.

Howitt said he worked with House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat who came to Rehoboth to view farms at Howitt’s request.

“Politics is a discussion. It’s disagreement, but it’s working with others,” Howitt said.

Carreiro said Massachusetts is primarily a Democratic state, and that decision-making with the majority is important.

“I’m proud to be a Democrat,” he said.

Carreiro said the Republican Party on a national level is swinging to the extreme right, and that is filtering to the local level.

He said Howitt has voted mostly along party lines, and criticized the incumbent for voting to abolish the speaker pro tempore position and against a bill to fund the spraying of mosquitoes.

“Politics is war though,” Carreiro said.

The candidates also discussed the practice of collecting per diem payments to commute back and forth to the State House, whether the Open Meeting Law should apply to sessions of state lawmakers, and a Nov. 6 ballot question to legalize medical marijuana in Massachusetts.

Carreiro said state representatives and senators collected a total of $426,899 in per diem payments in 2011.

“I’m not in favor of these payments, especially at this time when the economy is reeling,” he said.

Carreiro said Howitt claimed 126 days and $4,536 in per diem payments in 2011.

“I’ve never been paid to commute to work back and forth,” Carreiro said.

Howitt said he has paid income taxes on his per diem payments, and donated his payments to charity.

He said he sent $500 to the energy assistance fund in Norton, $500 to the food pantry in Rehoboth, $500 for veterans in Swansea, and $500 for the elderly in Seekonk.

“This way, I know it’s going directly to people in my district who need it, and I’m very proud to give it to them,” Howitt said. “This year, I’ll be taking it again.”

If elected, Carreiro said he would work with other state lawmakers interested in opening the deliberations of the legislature to the public.

“I would ask that the Open Meeting laws be applied as vigorously as possible to the House,” he said.

Carreiro said he is familiar with the Open Meeting Law at the local level, which stops local boards from meeting in closed sessions without notice. Boards must also cite exemptions under state law before meeting behind closed doors and must state if they intend to reconvene in open session to take any other votes.

“Anything that can be done to open government to the people is something I think is very important,” Carreiro said.

Howitt said the gallery is open at all of the state House of Representative sessions, which are usually broadcast on cable TV channels.

“We are open. Our sessions are open. People can go into the gallery,” he said.

Howitt said he could not speak to Democratic and Republican caucuses, which are closed.

He said Republicans asked for a measure for lobbyists to wear identification, but were shot down.

“The Open Meeting Law, I can’t see the application at the State House,” Howitt said.

Howitt said Massachusetts could become the 17th state to legalize medical marijuana.

He said he agrees with the theory that medical marijuana can be an aid for those suffering from disease, but he is not sure about the ballot question.

Howitt said medical marijuana ID cards being proposed would have no expiration date, and there would be no consistency in the product itself or its oversight.

“It’s up to the voters,” he said.

Carreiro said medical marijuana could be controlled if made legal.

He said it should be considered for use to treat pain, and would offer relief if taken under proper medical oversight

“I would seek support of that,” he said. “Our people should be able to decide on that.”